David Aldridge, TNT analyst:Brrr. Well, that and how polite Canadians are, every time I engage them. I really do enjoy Toronto, and would be delighted to go back–in May or June.

Steve Aschburner, NBA.com: The game needs to be dialed up. I get it that the weekend is about fun for the participants and, for fans, gawking at an assemblage of bubble-gum cards come to life. But what we saw Sunday was not entertaining — not nearly enough, anyway — or even a good advertisement for the NBA. This league is, yes, about entertainment and basketball, but it’s also about competition. And competition means two sides — offense and defense — putting forth effort. Athletic prowess needs resistance to fully show itself. I get it, that in the hierarchy of defensive intensity, we won’t get (and don’t need) hard fouls and charges-taken. But moving one’s feet, contesting shots, occasionally double-teaming and being a little more bull than matador would benefit everybody. There are some All-Stars who have defense in their portfolios, y’know — Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Chris Paul, Paul George — and it’d be nice to showcase that too. I perversely was rooting for the West to crack 200 points, hoping it would be embarrassing enough — so little in common with real basketball — that the league would feel compelled to do something. Please let 196 be close enough.

Fran Blinebury, NBA.com: Aaron Gordon’s “sitting in the chair,” passing the ball beneath both legs was the most memorable dunk I’ve seen since Spud Webb in 1986.

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: The Verizon Dunk contest, and I don’t think I’m the only person who will say that.Kobe Bryant’s farewell to All-Star weekend was nice and the lack of even decent effort in the Sunday main event was a concern that may have to be addressed one day in a message from the commissioner to players, making it a lasting impression of the bad variety, but Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon put on a show. The All-Star game you wanted to be called after the second quarter. The dunk contest could still be going on, tied and LaVine and Gordon with barely enough energy to get airborne, and people would be happy. The two finalists pumped more energy into the contest than anytime in years.

Shaun Powell, NBA.com: I went to sleep Saturday night thinking about the Verizon Dunk contest. That says it all. It was a sensational series between Aaron Gordon and Zach LaVine and breathed life into All-Star Saturday and particularly a dunk contest that absorbed lots of backlash, most of it deserved. Did Gordon really dunk off a rotating mascot? Or did I dream it?

John Schuhmann, NBA.com: How high Aaron Gordon can jump. No matter how many times you watch them, those dunks are incomprehensible.

Sekou Smith, NBA.com:All-Star Saturday night will be a hard memory to shake. The competition was top-flight, from the skills challenge to the 3-point shootout and the epic finish to the Verizon Dunk contest. I know the weekend was supposed to be about Kobe Bryant riding off into the sunset in his final All-Star Game appearance. But the next wave of stars that will carry on the legacy of great players in the league is what resonates with me. That and the fantastic job the city of Toronto did hosting the festivities. It was a freshening up, if you will, of an event that never gets old to me.

Ian Thomsen, NBA.com: The players need to start policing themselves.Do they grasp the harm they did to themselves by not even pretending to compete defensively? During the playoffs we’re all going to see how much they care and how committed they are to the best qualities – so why, on this great stage, did they sabotage their own reputations by not giving a decent effort?

Lang Whitaker, NBA.com’s All Ball blog: Well, I’m still defrosting. For a weekend that was supposed to be all about Kobe, I thought Saturday night, from top to bottom, was the best All-Star Saturday I’ve ever seen in 14 years of going to All-Star. The Taco Bell Skills Challenge came down to the wire, the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest had drama, and the Verizon Dunk contest set up a rivalry that could last for a decade. To me, it was the second-best dunk contest of all-time. (In my book, 1988 was the only one that was better, when Dominique Wilkins beat Michael Jordan but got done in by suspect judging. And I rate ’88 better than ’16 only because they didn’t use mascots or hoverboards back then.)

February 4, 2016 · 7:03 PM ET

NEW YORK CITY — All-Star Saturday night is going to be big. Literally.

Tonight’s announcement of the participants for All-Star Saturday night revealed a lot of familiar names and faces, but also a couple of intriguing players taking part in contests they haven’t been involved with in previous years. And while the Golden State Warriors have been nearly unstoppable on the court this season, on Saturday, Feb. 13, in Toronto’s Air Canada Centre (8 p.m. ET, TNT), the Warriors’ big three will attempt to bring home several different kinds of hardware.

The evening will open with the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, which will be radically different this season. Last year, the event was populated entirely by point guards, with Houston’s Patrick Beverley winning over Brandon Knight. This season, Beverley is slated to return and compete against several guards, such as Portland’s CJ McCollum, Boston’s Isaiah Thomas and Jordan Clarkson from the Lakers.

But the twist here is that they will be in a field that includes several big men, including Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins and rookie Karl-Anthony Towns. It will also be interesting to see what kind of performance we get from New Orleans’ multi-talented center Anthony Davis, who played guard throughout high school before a growth spurt moved him to the post. And the leading contender among the big men participating must be Golden State’s Draymond Green, who currently leads the League in triple-doubles with 10.

We can also safely assume that the evening will close with a bang. Last year’s Verizon Slam Dunk was one of the most electrifying contests in years, as then-Minnesota rookie Zach LaVine completed a series of athletic jams. LaVine will return this season, and be challenged by a field that includes Denver guard Will Barton, who has had something of a breakout campaign in this his fourth NBA season.

LaVine and Barton will be joined by two big men, in a contest where big men have traditionally struggled to score highly. Second year Orlando forward Aaron Gordon has had plenty of athletic dunks in his short NBA career, and Detroit center Andre Drummond has also shown plenty of bounce and skill around the basket, as the NBA’s leading rebounder this season.

In between these events will be the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, which in a league increasingly reliant on the three-point shot, is rapidly becoming the evening’s signature event. While last year’s three-point contest was recognized as having one of the sweetest-shooting fields in the history of the event, this year’s event appears to be equally star-studded:

Stephen Curry – Curry won last year’s event, then went on to win the NBA’s MVP award and an NBA title. Leads the NBA this season in three pointers made (232) by a wide margin (77 more than his Golden State teammate Klay Thompson).

James Harden – The Houston guard finished just behind Curry in last season’s MVP voting, and the Rockets have gotten off to a slow start this season. Still, Harden is third this season in total three-pointers made (140).

Klay Thompson – The other Splash Brother has a chance to outshine Curry. Thompson is making 43-percent of his three-point attempts this season.

Khris Middleton – The Bucks swingman is averaging a career-best two made three-pointers per game, and knocking them in at 41-percent clip.

Kyle Lowry – The Raptors guard will surely enjoy a home court advantage. Lowry is averaging a career-high 2.8 threes per game, and making them at a career-best 39 percent success rate.

JJ Redick – Clippers guard Reddick has always been known as a sharp-shooter, but this season has been his masterpiece. In 45 games for Los Angeles, Redick has made 120 threes, converting at a league-best 48-percent clip.

Chris Bosh – Why just have big men in the other two Saturday night contests? To be fair, the power forward Bosh has made himself into a good three-point shooter, and he’s relied on his long-range shot more than ever this season. Consider this: During Bosh’s first nine NBA seasons, he attempted a combined 228 threes; This season he’s attempted 213 threes in Miami’s first 50 games.

Devin Booker – Booker is the youngest contestant (he’s 19 years old) in the three-point shootout, but he’s already proven he’s one of the NBA’s best shooters, connecting on threes for the Phoenix Suns at a 42-percent rate this season.

State Farm NBA All-Star Saturday Night will be televised live exclusively on TNT on Saturday, Feb. 13, from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada.

January 28, 2016 · 7:12 PM ET

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — Millions of fan votes decided who the starters would be for the 65th NBA All-Star Game next month in Toronto.

Only 12 to 14 were required, from coaches around the league, to decide the 14 other players who would fill out the rosters for the Eastern and Western Conference All-Stars.

And there will be a new school flavor to the festivities with a trio of rookie All-Star reserves joining the party.

First time All-Stars highlight the list of reserves, that was announced tonight on TNT. That group includes Golden State’s Draymond Green in the Western Conference and Detroit’s Andre Drummond and Boston’s Isaiah Thomas in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers have just one All-Star, LeBron James, despite owning the best record in the Eastern Conference and having their staff, headed by Tyronn Lue, in charge of coaching the Eastern Conference team.

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, playing in his 18th and final All-Star Game headlines a Western Conference starting unit that also includes Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, first-time All-Star and San Antonio defensive ace Kawhi Leonard, reigning KIA MVP Stephen Curry of Golden State and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook.

Western Conference reserves

LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio: Aldridge’s numbers are down but that was expected when he made the move from Portland to San Antonio and the ensemble cast he’s playing with now. This is his fifth straight All-Star Game appearance.

DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento: Cousins has staked his claim to the title as the best big man in basketball and is the only true center on the Western Conference roster. This is his second straight All-Star Game appearance.

Anthony Davis, New Orleans: The Pelicans’ rough start to this season did not keep the coaches from making sure Davis made it to the All-Star Game for the third straight year.

Draymond Green, Golden State: The NBA’s leader in triple-doubles this season, Green missed out on a starting nod but takes his rightful place alongside Warriors teammates Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in his first All-Star appearance.

James Harden, Houston: The runner up for KIA MVP honors last season is still playing at an elite level, individually, even if his Rockets are nowhere near their conference finals pace of a year ago. This is his Harden’s fourth straight All-Star Game appearance.

Chris Paul, LA Clippers: Paul has been the Clippers’ rock with Blake Griffin out with a torn quad tendon the past 15 games (and now a fractured hand for the next 4-6 weeks). This is CP3’s ninth All-Star appearance.

Klay Thompson: The Warriors’ sweet-shooting swingman reminded everyone just how dangerous he can be with a season-high 45 points in Wednesday’s win over the Mavericks. He’s making his second straight All-Star Game appearance.

Eastern Conference reserves

Chris Bosh, Miami: The 11-time All-Star has come all the way back from the pulmonary embolism that ended cut his season short a year ago. Bosh and Dwyane Wade have led the Heat back into the top four mix in the East after last season’s lottery twirl.

Jimmy Butler, Chicago: The new face of the Bulls has been the motor for a team that has battled inconsistency during the transition from the Tom Thibodeau era to the Fred Hoiberg experience. This is his second straight All-Star Game appearance.

DeMar DeRozan, Toronto: DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, the driving forces on a Raptors team that is entrenched in the top three of the Eastern Conference standings this season, will play co-hosts for the All-Star festivities. This is DeRozan’s second All-Star Game appearance.

Andre Drummond, Detroit: The league’s runaway leader in double-doubles and rebounds this season, Drummond, like Cousins in the West, is the only true center on the East roster.

Paul Millsap, Atlanta: The Hawks’ summer re-investment in Millsap has paid off handsomely. He’s been the best and most consistent player for a team that had four All-Stars hit the floor in New York last year. This is the third straight All-Star appearance for Millsap.

Isaiah Thomas, Boston: The unquestioned leader of a Celtics team that wasn’t supposed to have any true stars, Thomas has shattered that myth since joining Boston last season and become the catalyst for Brad Stevens’ upstart crew.

John Wall, Washington: Wall has done yeoman’s work this season for a Wizards’ team that has dealt with a parade of injuries to other key players, most notably Wall’s backcourt mate Bradley Beal. This is Wall’s third straight All-Star Game appearance.

The seven reserves for both teams will be announced tonight, live on TNT at 7 p.m. ET. Will Golden State’s Draymond Green and Detroit’s Andre Drummond make it for the first time? Will Portland’s Damian Lillard make the cut in a crowded field in the West and will Washington’s John Wall do the same in a thick mix in the East?

There is plenty of intrigue remaining. Will Kobe Bryant contemporaries like Dirk Nowitzkiand or Tim Duncan be in uniform for Kobe’s 18th and final All-Star Game appearance? What about Anthony Davis and LaMarcus Aldridge, two players most of us expected to be locks for the game in the preseason?

The final decision comes from the coaches in each conference, who vote on the reserves (and are not allowed to vote from players on their own team). The fans vote for the starters, so it’s up to the coaches to ensure that the “right” (and most deserving) 14 players are selected to fill out the rosters.

The reserves will be revealed during a special one-hour edition of “NBA Tipoff presented by Autotrader” featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith. The special will air prior to TNT’s exclusive doubleheader featuring the Knicks at the Raptors (8 p.m. ET) and the Bulls at the Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET).

NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. Along with the NBA All-Star Game, the Air Canada Centre will also host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 12 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 13. Other events at NBA All-Star 2016 include the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire.

His name was invoked in the Clippers’ locker room after almost every game.

“‘Tias!” center DeAndre Jordan would declare loudly, as if he wanted to make a show of what was coming next. “Where’s ‘Tias at?”

Mathias Testi would appear and Jordan would invariably ask the assistant equipment manager to fetch a piece of clothing or maybe some lotion. Testi faithfully retrieved the item, even if he did occasionally dawdle or mutter something under his breath.

To the uninitiated it might have resembled a mild hazing ritual, but there was always a playful undercurrent between Testi, Jordan and teammate Blake Griffin. Their relationship felt like something out of the buddy comedy “Entourage,” with Testi playing the role of the relative nobody along for the ride with his celebrity friends during dinners and other outings.

That friendship unraveled Saturday when Griffin repeatedly punched Testi during an altercation at a Toronto restaurant, resulting in a broken bone in Griffin’s right hand that is expected to keep the All-Star forward out for an additional four to six weeks at a time when he had already missed a month because of a quadriceps injury.

…

Testi, 29, returned to Los Angeles, as did Griffin, after the incident and Griffin underwent a procedure on his hand Tuesday morning, the team said.

…

The altercation started inside a restaurant with a back-and-forth exchange that led the friends outside, with Griffin throwing multiple punches, according to a league executive with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Rivers said he was unsure whether the men were drinking at the time of the altercation but “I don’t think alcohol had anything to do with this.”

It was not immediately known whether Testi would pursue legal action against Griffin or the Clippers. He remained employed by the team.

…

The altercation put some of Griffin’s teammates in the awkward spot of being caught between allegiances.

“I’m friends with and love both parties,” Jordan said. “It’s out of my control, but hopefully we can figure out something.”

Playoff collapses against Oklahoma City and Houston; DeAndre Jordan’s wild free agency; Donald Sterling’s forced sale of the team. The Clippers are no stranger to being on the wrong side of an unlikely story.

But after what happened last weekend in Toronto, they can add to that list an incident that several NBA executives dubbed almost unbelievable.

Saturday night, Blake Griffin and assistant equipment manager Matias Testi got into an argument. It got physical, with Griffin punching Testi in an altercation that began inside a Toronto restaurant and ended outside it.

…

Griffin, who was close to returning to action from a partially torn quad tendon, underwent a procedure Tuesday morning to repair the fractured fourth metacarpal in his right hand. He is expected to be out another 4 to 6 weeks.

Rivers called that timetable “unrealistic” in his opinion. According to Rotowire injury analyst Jeff Stotts, the average player misses 17 games with a fourth metacarpal fracture.

…

According to a spokesperson for the Toronto Police Department, no reports naming Griffin had been filed as of Tuesday afternoon.

…

The Clippers have managed to work their way to the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference despite a slow start and Griffin’s extended absence.

That’s in jeopardy now.

“We have to figure it out because we are in a tough conference,” Rivers told reporters. “We’ve kind of clawed our way up to the spot we’re in right now. We have to keep clawing.”

…

Why Griffin and Testi fought remains a mystery. Both men left the team and returned to Los Angeles following the incident.

Rivers said he didn’t think alcohol played a factor.

“They’re grown men,” he said. “They’re at the legal age where they can I have a drink. I don’t think alcohol had anything to do with this.”

Rivers wants nothing to do with this either, commenting on the lack of basketball talk in his pregame meeting with the media.

“We have a responsibility once we play in this league to conduct ourselves in a certain way. That’s something we talked about yesterday. Represent the Clippers. We have to continue to do that,” Rivers said. “Everything that happens, obviously, you try to turn into a teaching lesson for your players. They’re still young, still learning life. And, it’s our job sometimes to teach life, teach life through the mistakes we’ve made. …

“Guys are human and they make mistakes. I’m not one of those guys to never give people second chances in life. I think that’s very important in life. Having said that, you have to learn from that.”

…

“We have to learn lessons,” Rivers told reporters. “Sometimes, you have to learn them the hard way. This is one hard way. This is a hard lesson for Blake.

January 21, 2016 · 7:15 PM ET

HANG TIME BIG CITY — The 2016 NBA All-Star Game will showcase several players who have battled back from injury to return to All-Star form. It will also likely serve as a farewell to the leading scorer in All-Star Game history, Kobe Bryant.

And if the starting lineups are any indication, NBA fans appear ready to embrace small ball.

Bryant, in his 20th NBA season, announced in November that this will be his final campaign. Though he missed the last two All-Star games with injuries, Lakers guard Bryant led all NBA players in voting this season through the first three voting updates. In each voting update, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, last year’s leading vote-getter, was second behind Bryant. Bryant finished with 1,891,614 votes, ahead of Curry’s 1,604,325.

After missing significant time last season, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Paul George have all had terrific first halves to the season, and fans rewarded their excellence with All-Star starting spots. While Durant was the leading vote-getter in 2014, injuries last season relegated him to a reserve role in the All-Star Game. Anthony started last season’s All-Star Game in New York, but had season-ending knee surgery shortly after the game. George missed most of last season recovering from a broken leg. This season, all three have produced at an All-Star pace and have their teams in playoff contention.

Anthony (567,348) edged Chicago’s Pau Gasol (566,988), who started last season, by only 360 votes for the final starting position in the East frontcourt.

For the second year in a row, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry made a late charge into the Eastern Conference starting five. Last year, with help on social media from Canada’s prime minister and hip-hop star Drake, Lowry made up a 100,000 vote deficit in the last two weeks of voting to pass Dwyane Wade for a starting spot. This season, Lowry again received a late endorsement on Instagram from Drake, and Raptors fans voted often via Twitter, helping Lowry (646,441) tally enough votes to leapfrog Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving (580,651) and start in the Eastern Conference backcourt with Wade.

Alongside Bryant and Durant in the Western Conference frontcourt, San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard will make his All-Star debut as a starter. Golden State’s Draymond Green, who leads the NBA in triple-doubles this season with eight, held a 12,000 vote lead over Leonard for the final spot in the Western Conference frontcourt in the most recent voting returns. The Warriors (39-4) and Spurs (36-6) have the two best records in the NBA this season. Dallas center Zaza Pachulia also made a late push, from eighth to fourth in voting for the West’s frontcourt, thanks to a concerted effort to get out the international vote. Pachulia ended up falling just 14,000 votes short of winning a starting spot, finishing ahead of Green.

Green’s absence from the starting lineup also means there are no All-Star starters who regularly play center for their teams. While both Pau and Marc Gasol made the starting lineups last season, James and Durant would seem to be the most likely candidates to start at center for their teams, or at least the tallest starters available.

Besides Green and Irving, several players are noticeable by their absences. In the Western Conference, Houston’s James Harden scored 29 points in last year’s All-Star game and finished second to Curry in regular season MVP voting. Harden finished fifth among Western Conference guards with 430,777 votes, behind Curry, Westbrook, Chris Paul (624,334) and Klay Thompson (555,513). Clippers forward Blake Griffin has been an All-Star in each of his five NBA seasons, and was voted in as a starter last year, but injuries this season have meant he’s played in just 30 games thus far. Anthony Davis was voted a starter a year ago, but an injury-riddled start to the Pelicans’ season likely hampered his chances. Davis finished ninth among Western Conference frontcourt players.

In the East, Washington’s John Wall was voted to start a year ago, but hasn’t been in contention for a starting spot this season in any of the voting updates, as the Wizards have stumbled to a 20-21 start. Wall (368,686) finished sixth among Eastern Conference guards.

The 65th NBA All-Star Game will be exclusively televised on TNT from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Sunday, Feb. 14.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Frontcourt

LeBron James, Cavaliers — After James took the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals last season, he has led the Eastern Conference in voting this season. An 11-time All-Star, James is shooting a career low 29-percent from the three-point line, but has also averaged 25.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg and 6 apg for the 29-11 Cavs, who are in first place in the Eastern Conference.

Paul George, Pacers — After suffering a compound fracture of his right leg during a USA Basketball scrimmage in the summer of 2014, George missed most of last season, before returning for the final six games. This season, the two-time All-Star George has played in all 42 of Indiana’s games, averaging a career-high 23.7 ppg, along with 4 apg and 7.4 rpg.

Carmelo Anthony, Knicks — Last season, shortly after appearing in his 10th NBA All-Star Game, Anthony had season-ending knee surgery. This season, Anthony is averaging 21.7 ppg in 40 games, and last night passed Larry Bird for 31st place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Anthony has assumed a leadership role for the rebuilding Knicks, who after winning just 17 games a season ago, are currently 22-22 and in contention for a playoff appearance.

Backcourt

Dwyane Wade, Heat — At 34 years old, Wade is a 12-time All-Star. After missing significant chunks of the last few seasons with various injuries, this season Wade has played in 40 of Miami’s 43 games. Wade is averaging 18.1 ppg for the Heat, who are 23-20.

Kyle Lowry — Thank the north. After making his All-Star debut last season and leading the Raptors into the playoffs, Lowry has been even better this season. Through 42 games, the 29-year-old Lowry is averaging a career high 20.9 ppg and 5 rpg, along with 6.5 apg.

WESTERN CONFEERENCE

Frontcourt

Kobe Bryant, Lakers — For the first time in his career, Bryant was listed among frontcourt players, and he ran away with the vote. A 17-time All-Star, this season has turned into an extended farewell tour for Bryant and the Lakers, who are 9-35 so far this season. Bryant is averaging 16.3 ppg in 36 games this campaign.

Kevin Durant, Thunder — Durant missed most of last season after suffering a foot injury, and underwent several foot surgeries. But this season the 27-year-old Durant has returned to form, averaging 26.5 ppg through 37 games for the Thunder, who are 32-12 under first-year coach Billy Donovan.

Kawhi Leonard, Spurs — The San Antonio Spurs have won five titles during the Gregg Popovich–Tim Duncan era, and while they’ve usually employed an understated form, it’s been hard to overlook them this season, as they’ve racked up a gaudy 36-6 record to start this season. The 24-year-old Leonard has been sensational for the Spurs, averaging a team-high 20.1 ppg as well as playing arguably the best on-ball defense in the NBA.

Backcourt

Stephen Curry, Warriors — Last season’s NBA MVP has been even better this season. A two-time All-Star, Curry has helped the Warriors get off to a 24-0 start while averaging a career-high (and NBA-leading) 29.9 ppg. Remarkably, Curry has done this while playing just 33.9 mpg, while shooting 51 percent from the field, 45 percent behind the three-point line, and 91 percent from the free throw line.

Russell Westbrook, Thunder — Westbrook scored 41 points in last season’s All-Star Game, winning the All-Star Game MVP. This season, the 27-year-old Westbrook has been as dynamic as ever, averaging 24 ppg, 9.8 apg and 7.1 rpg, along with a league-leading 2.5 steals per game.

January 21, 2016 · 8:26 AM ET

HANG TIME BIG CITY — The polls are officially closed, and now it’s just a matter of time before we find out if Kobe Bryant will go out on top.

The 2016 NBA All-Star Game starters will be announced tonight, live on TNT at 7 p.m. ET. In this his final NBA season, Bryant has led the NBA in All-Star voting since initial totals were announced, with 1,533,432 overall votes in the latest returns. Bryant has maintained a consistent lead over last year’s leading vote-getter and MVP, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, and has already surpassed Curry’s league-leading total of 1,513,324 votes from last season.

Curry (1,206,467) was second overall in the most recent voting returns, and was joined in the potential Western Conference starting five by his Warriors teammate Draymond Green (499,947), who was clinging to a slim lead over San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard (487,626) in the last update. The Warriors, of course, have put together a historic first half of the season, with a 39-4 record through today, while Leonard’s Spurs are right behind them at 36-6.

Another contest worth watching is in the Eastern Conference backcourt. While Miami’s Dwyane Wade (736,732) seems to have a starting spot secured, in the most recent updates his probable backcourt mate was Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving, who had 399,757 votes. Just behind Irving was Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, with 367,472 votes. Last season Lowry overcame a similar deficit in the final days to vault into the starting line-up. With the 2016 All-Star game in Toronto, it will be interesting to see if Raptors fans across Canada were able to marshall sufficient support for Lowry as the clock ticked down.

In the Eastern Conference frontcourt, while LeBron James and Paul George appear to have starting sports secured, the third position may still be up in the air. In the most recent voting returns, New York’s Carmelo Anthony (368,336) passed Detroit’s Andre Drummond (361,307) and was holding a slim lead for the final starting nod.

The starting lineups will be revealed during a special one-hour edition of “NBA Tipoff presented by Autotrader” featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith. The special will air prior to TNT’s exclusive doubleheader featuring the Clippers at the Cavaliers (8 p.m. ET) and the Spurs at the Suns (10:30 p.m. ET).

NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. Along with the NBA All-Star Game, the Air Canada Centre will also host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 12 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 13. Other events at NBA All-Star 2016 include the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the NBA Development League All-Star Game presented by Kumho Tire.

January 14, 2016 · 1:34 PM ET

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — With just one week before All-Star starters are announced, good luck catching Kobe Bryant.

In the third returns of All-Star voting, released today, the Lakers’ star guard maintained his commanding overall lead in voting, with 1,533,432 overall votes. Bryant, the leading scorer in All-Star Game history who is playing in his final NBA season, held onto a cushion of about 300,000 votes since the last round of voting over the next-highest vote-getter, Golden State’s Stephen Curry (1,206,467).

In the Eastern Conference, Cleveland’s LeBron James (830,345) leads all players, ahead of his former Miami teammate Dwyane Wade (736,732). Indiana’s Paul George (569,947) seems to be destined to start alongside James. For the final Eastern Conference starting frontcourt spot, despite a vigorous social media campaign from the Detroit Pistons, center Andre Drummond — the NBA’s leading rebounder — has dropped to fourth after holding the third spot through the first two rounds of balloting results. With these latest totals, New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (368,336) has surpassed Drummond (361,307) to move into the potential starting five.

While Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (774,782) seems to be a lock to join Bryant in the Western Conference frontcourt, the race for the final starting spot remains tight. After moving into the starting five in the last voting update, Golden State’s Draymond Green (499,947), who leads the NBA with eight triple-doubles this season, has maintained a slim lead over San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard (487,626) for the final spot in the Western Conference frontcourt.

Another race worth keeping an eye on is the Eastern Conference backcourt, where Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving (399,757) is currently in the lead to start alongside Wade, although the host city’s Kyle Lowry (367,472) isn’t far behind. Last year, Lowry used a late, social media-fueled push to overcome Wade and make it into the starting five.

Lowry has just a few more days if he wants to make a similar run this year: Voting will conclude Monday, Jan. 18 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The starters will be announced live on TNT on Thursday, Jan. 21 (7 p.m. ET) during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off presented by Autotrader.com. All-Star Game reserves, selected by the NBA’s coaches, will be revealed on TNT on Thursday, Jan. 28.

The 65th NBA All-Star Game will be held on Sunday, Feb. 14 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. TNT will televise the All-Star Game in the U.S. for the 14th consecutive year.

NBA All-Star Voting 2016 presented by Verizon is an all-digital program that gives fans everywhere the opportunity to vote for their favorite players as starters for the All-Star Game. New to the voting program this year, fans can cast their daily votes directly through Google Search on their desktop, tablet and mobile devices. They can also vote on NBA.com, through the NBA App (available on Android and iOS), SMS text and social media networks including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as via Sina Weibo and Tencent Microblogs in China.

It appears fans have also rewarded Golden State’s red-hot start to the season, as Warriors forward Draymond Green (332,223) has moved into the top three among Western Conference frontcourt players, joining Bryant and Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, narrowly ahead of San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard (330,929) and Clippers forward Blake Griffin (298,212).

Durant’s Oklahoma City teammate, point guard Russell Westbrook (479,512), ranks second in voting among Western Conference guards. He has a healthy lead over the third-ranked guard, Clippers point guard Chris Paul (268,672).

Cleveland’s LeBron James leads all Eastern Conference players with 636,388 votes. His former Miami teammate, Dwyane Wade,is second with 562,558 votes. James’ current teammate, Kyrie Irving (271,094) — who has played just seven games this season since returning from injury — is second among Eastern Conference guards. Irving is outpacing Kyle Lowry (242,276), who plays for All-Star host Toronto and used a late push last season to get into the starting line-up.

Detroit’s Andre Drummond, the NBA’s leading rebounder this season, is still among the top three frontcourt players in the Eastern Conference, which would qualify him to start. But Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, an eight-time All-Star, has closed Drummond’s lead to about 6,000 votes. Anthony’s teammate, Kristaps Porzingis, is the highest-ranked rookie, with 160,170 votes — good for ninth among Eastern Conference frontcourt players.

The Spurs and the Warriors each have five players among the Western Conference’s leading vote-getters. After sending four players to the All-Star Game last season, the only player the Atlanta Hawks have among the leading vote-getters this season is Paul Millsap (21,625), who is 15th among Eastern Conference forwards.

The 65th NBA All-Star Game will be held on Sunday, Feb. 14 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. TNT will televise the All-Star Game in the U.S. for the 14th consecutive year.

NBA All-Star Voting 2016 presented by Verizon is an all-digital program that gives fans everywhere the opportunity to vote for their favorite players as starters for the All-Star Game. New to the voting program this year, fans can cast their daily votes directly through Google Search on their desktop, tablet and mobile devices. They can also vote on NBA.com, through the NBA App (available on Android and iOS), SMS text and social media networks including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as via Sina Weibo and Tencent Microblogs in China.